Phyllis Root is the award-winning author of more than forty children’s books, including the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Big Momma Makes the World, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and One Duck Stuck, illustrated by Jane Chapman. Phyllis Root lives in Minnesota.

Alison Friend was on vacation one year, making jams and chutneys with her husband, when they discovered a recipe for Figgy Mustardo. The chutney was good, but Alison thought the name was better suited for a feisty little dog. That's how Figgy came to be!

Alison is also the author and illustrator of Freddy & Frito and the Clubhouse Rules, which Kirkus Reviews called "a playful, lighthearted lesson about peacekeeping and place-keeping." She lives with her family in the Lake District in England.